The Curriculum And Lesson Planning

The word curriculum can mean something different to different people, even to different teachers who use the term almost daily (Manning & Butcher, 2012). However, it boils down to curriculum being what a student learns, both in terms of core subject content, as well as though social activity and elective/activity courses. However, there has often been a disconnect between different states and districts over what exactly should be in the curriculum for various grades and what is needed to prepare students for life beyond school, as well as providing little basis for comparing the US to other countries. That’s where Common Core State Standards (CCSS) come in. According to Teaching in the Middle School (2012), the Common Core standards were created in an attempt to provide curriculum standards that are “rigorous, internationally benchmarked, and aligned with college and work expectations”. Since its implementation in 2009, 42 US states and the District of Columbia have integrated the standards into their curriculums. (Core Standards, 2015)

The curriculum is characterized by many features advocated by contemporary research on young children, including real-life problem-solving among peers, with numerous opportunities for creative thinking and exploration. Teachers often work on projects with small groups of children, while the rest of the class engages in a wide variety of self-selected activities typical of preschool classrooms.

Ashlyn Edwards is an elementary school grades teacher and is licensed to teach grade levels K-6. She currently resides in Texas and has taken some time off from teaching to be with her family. Before taking the time off, Ashlyn worked in two different schools, one of which was in Georgia and the other in Kansas. In Georgia, she taught Kindergarten and in Kansas she taught grade 1. I chose to interview Ashlyn because I had met her several years ago through another friend and I found out she was a teacher at that time. Even though I had not got to know more about Ashlyn before this interview, I was hopeful that she would be able to provide me some insight into what it is like being a teacher and the ups and downs of the job. I asked Ashlyn five questions related to her job and she provided answers that not only guided me but also helped me to understand ways that I can become prepared to teach.

Outstanding teachers are respected by students, faculty and families and are professional when performing all duties and communicating with students, faculty and families. When dealing with families a teacher must be understanding and empathic of students' diagnosis and family life challenges. An outstanding teacher needs to be open-minded to others ideas and theories and to changes. You also need to be consistent to provide stability to your students, as well as know the content that you are teaching. An outstanding teacher has to be able to be organized, patient, ask for help and participate in professional development to learn new techniques to grow and learn and stay up to date with new findings. An outstanding educator needs to encourage students to push themselves, reach their potential, show them that you have confidence in them and give them acceptance to be who they are, inspire students by showing them a love for learning so that they will have a love for learning and being in school and a teacher needs to have drive and passion to make students reach their full potential and putting in extra hours to make sure your students are

It wasn't until she went to do fieldwork in schools, that she decided to become a teacher. She realized, through inspiring teachers and students she worked with, that she wanted to do just what every teacher that inspired her to do. She wants to be seen as a positive role model to her students and teach them how to cooperate with each one another. She wants to leave the great impact that each of her teachers has left on her, and she wants to have a positive impact on their lives. Getting to know a student and understanding their lives and possible hardships they face, can have a huge impact on how a student views you. Being there for your student, being supportive, being understanding, are just a few qualities all teachers should

For this program outcome I chose my curriculum analysis paper from CUR 512, Curriculum Analysis and Planning. In this course we defined curriculum, the aspects that are considered when writing curriculum, the theoretical perspectives found within curriculum, and the goals of the curriculum. By writing this paper, I was able to focus in on a unit that I teach in third grade social studies to get a full picture of the curriculum. I was also able to see the complex issues surrounding the curriculum that I never previously noticed.

She explained positive parts about being a teacher as being able to do what you love with growing children. As children go through stages of development, it is a good feeling to see what they are going to become in the future. She explains the bond she has with her students as one of the greatest feelings in the world. In early childhood, being their first teacher can have a major impact on how well they are going to do. Being able to create a good well-educated start to education is important. She explained that she wants to be able to educate children in the best way she can because the outcome of seeing them succeed is amazing.

I interviewed Mrs. Long, Conner’s kindergarten teacher. I felt Mrs. Long to be a very caring and full of life type of teacher. She did well at keeping the kids

The Common Core curriculum negatively affects students, because it limits their ability to learn in a creative way. An example of how the standards limit creativity is illustrated by this teacher’s testimony, “I once saw an eighth grader who was on the verge of being tossed out of his middle school, even though he was one of the brightest kids there. When asked why he was failing, he said, “Why should I be doing the same frickin ' thing since I was in third grade?”

The first question that I ask Kristina was what do you believe are the qualities of an excellent/expert teacher? She said there are a million of qualities that make up an expert teacher, but a few of the key ones are trusting, flexible, compassionate, responsible, and enthusiastic. A teacher must be flexible. Everyday a new curve ball will be thrown your way, but you just need to learn to adjust and be flexible with your teaching. She said compassionate because this is a job with children they deserve your undivided attention and care. A teacher must be responsible and have control of his or her students, and lastly a teacher must be enthusiastic. She said do not be afraid to have fun and laugh with your students make their learning experience memorable and fun because it is no fun to learn with a dull

Develops, weekly plans, and implements age appropriate curriculum (lesson plan) to nurture and stimulate all domains of children’s development in their care. Provides a developmentally appropriate classroom environment that reflects the children’s learning and growth. Perform on-going developmental evaluations of children as required by funding sources and develop lesson plans and follow curriculum implementation that addresses the individual needs of each child. Maintains a record of growth and keeps parents up to date with child's progress.

Creative Curriculum focuses on ten areas of learning including math, literacy, social-emotional, science and technology, the arts, social studies, physical, language, cognitive, and language acquisition.

The classroom is set up in a way that is open and inviting for the students. There are various centers set up throughout the classroom where the children can work on various activities. To start off the lesson we will be reading a story in the reading center. The reading center has a large circular area rug, a comfortable rocking chair, book cases and book stands full of various books and small cushions for children to sit on during story time. The rest of the lesson will take place in the activity center. The activity center has a few long tables and chairs, shelves that have various compartments that are labeled for the various materials like paint, crayons, etc. and a small sink against the wall for easy clean up. There is a manipulative play center that has a water and sand table along with other various objects. There is also a dramatic play center that has different costumes and props and a play kitchen with child-sized tables and chairs. The children’s work is displayed throughout the classroom and children have their own cubbies with their names on them where they can put their belongings upon entering the classroom.

What is the origin of the ocean? What is an ocean/sea? What are the characteristics of the ocean?

This essay will provide details about how the lesson plan and sequence of lessons for the mathematics unit of symmetry caters for individual students’ needs in regards to active engagement in learning activities and what differentiation measures are put into place for students with varying levels of ability.